SAAC welcomes the return of The Penguin Project for another special theatrical production for young artists of special needs and peer mentors. Sponsored by Entergy, the penguins will present “High School Musical, Jr.” on February 2-3, 2024. The Penguin Project allows children with special needs to perform in a live stage production in front of an audience by pairing them with a mentor of a similar age. They operate as a symbiotic pair throughout the entire process to learn lines, dances, songs, and stage blocking, even appearing on stage together.
Late Registration Open! We had a great registration day on November 14, but the production still has room for a few more artist and mentors. Late registration is open through the first rehearsal on November 28 or until all the spot have been filled. Interested students can contact the director by email (Lynn Gunter at lynngunter@live.com) OR deliver a completed registration form to the SAAC office.
“High School Musical, Jr.” tells the story of the students of “East High” and how they must deal with issues of love, friends, and family, all while balancing their classes and extracurricular activities. The production is under the direction of Lynn Gunter with Assistant/Music Director Cassie Hickman. Together, the team has produced and directed the last three Penguin Project productions: “Frozen, Kids,” “Seussical, Kids,” and “Honk, Jr.”
Any level of disability qualifies for a Penguin Project theatre production – from high functioning to the non-communicative, from physically able to wheelchair bound. “Some of our actors need assistance or guidance getting on and off stage, however, some really just need a friend,” said Gunter. She elaborated on the mentoring program by saying, “Serving as a mentor provides the opportunity to fall in love with some amazing kids. It can be an awe-inspiring and an eye-awakening opportunity to see what actors with disabilities can accomplish. Additionally, the mentors get to see the other peer mentors in action, serving the actors and helping them give the best performance they can give. Some mentors have even moved on in life to pursue careers working with individuals with disabilities.”
“This is Penguin Project in a nutshell: for everyone to see the person they genuinely are and to no longer see the ‘difference’. After all, aren’t we all different? And don’t those differences make us better together?” said Gunter. “So, bypass the front row seat and head straight to the stage. You will not regret it.”
Started by Dr. Andy Morgan, a pediatrician who specializes in the care of children with special needs and has also been actively involved in community theatre, The Penguin Project began 19 years ago in Peoria, Illinois to empower young artists with developmental disabilities including down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities visual impairment, hearing impairment, and other neurological disorders. Today, the program has spread to 53 locations across the country, including the South Arkansas Arts Center.
For more information about the production of “High School Musical, Jr.” please call the SAAC office at 870-862-5474.